Maya Yoncali is a British/Polish/Armenian Movement Director and multidisciplinary artist. She explores physical expression through varying artistic lenses; as a Contemporary Dancer, Film and Movement Director, and Photographer. Across these mediums and disciplines, Maya uses movement and character to create truthful and powerful presentations of humanity, offering a universal connection to the theme or story.
“...it speaks about the very present moment of its creation, but it does so in an abstract, highly artistic
language that is open to communicate with the future, achieving timelessness in the
process.” - Film critic Dieter Wieczorek, judge of the European Film Academy Awards, on
Sometimes They Sing.
Collaborations include: Sadler’s Wells, Siobhan Davies Studios, The Royal Central School of
Speech and Drama, Than Hussein Clark.
Credits include: Director of multiple award-winning short film Sometimes They Sing (Brighton
Rocks - BAFTA qualifying, The International Sound and Film Music Festival, New Renaissance Film Festival Dreamer of Dreams, Lift-Off Film Festival UK).
Maya first trained on the BA Contemporary Dance degree at Trinity Laban (2015 - 2018). Having always had a focus on narrative and character in her dance work, Maya went on to obtain an MA Movement: Directing and Teaching at the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama (2021-2022) where she developed her understanding of directing, narrative and actor training.
Since 2023, Maya has been the lead Movement Tutor for Actor Movement for BA1 and BA2 actors, at the Performance Preparation Academy, (Surrey).
Photo. Self-portrait by Maya Yoncali